Well, I guess I took about a month-long blogging hiatus. It wasn't intentional, but I guess I've been getting adjusted to living somewhere new, cooking in a different kitchen, and of course...working. But now that a month has passed, and Superbowl Sunday is around the corner, I decided it was time to get "back in the game" before the big game!
Honestly, I don't really watch football, but I've always loved Superbowl Sunday because of the commercials, the half-time show, and the Superbowl parties! Great excuse to get together with friends and eat good food! One of my favorites for Superbowl Sunday is spinach-artichoke dip. Actually, it's one of my favorites, period. But it's usually so unhealthy. Did you know… continue reading getting "back in the game" with a healthier spinach-artichoke dip. | 1 Comment

the pastries are so beautiful...maybe they only eat with their eyes??
Seriously though, there's something so satisfying about eating something that's both incredibly beautiful and delicious.
Speaking of beautiful, check out these artistic Parisian window displays!
One of my favorite places we ate at was Toraya - a Japanese tea house/French patisserie. The green tea hot chocolate was amazing (think of a chocolate green tea latte), and the macarons (soy, green tea, black sesame and red bean flavored) were so delicious. French-Japanese is such an interesting fusion! I… continue reading french women don't get fat... | 7 Comments

I know I have been MIA for a while but life got kinda crazy for a while--between starting a new job right and dealing with all the craziness that comes with the holidays, I didn't have that much time to blog. But life, has hopefully settled down once again and I should be back to regularly blogging.
To end 2009 with a bang, I decided my last blog entry of the year should end with some spice--zippy shrimp tacos! These shrimp tacos have just the right amount of heat to light up all the taste buds in your mouth.
Shrimp Marinade
1 pound shrimp, peeled with tails removed and butterflied11/2 teaspoons chili powder1 teaspoon paprikaPinch of cayenne pepper… continue reading zippy shrimp tacos! | 3 Comments

because I'm going to Paris! Tomorrow! Very excited about it, and I'm guessing the trip will be filled with butter, cheese, and all kinds of other delicious things. Hoping to get some new, wonderful cooking inspiration while I'm away, and I already can't wait to get home and make tons of fun, healthy and fantastic food in 2010! Happy New Year! xo, Tali…

So, I'm moving to New York this week, and I'm just really not anywhere near ready. I've been making lists of things that I need to pack or do, but as of yet, I haven't actually packed or done anything. I think I'm in some sort of denial. So, instead of doing any of the things I actually needed to do tonight, I ended up baking a denial cake.

This is totally coincidental, but my denial cake ended up being vegan. I really wasn't trying to imply anything there! Just trying to use up leftover pantry items, which didn't include any eggs or other dairy. My cake ended… continue reading denial cake. | 3 Comments

Doughnuts are one of my biggest weaknesses. They're one of those foods that I hardly ever eat because I know that if I do eat them even occasionally, I'll remember how much I love them, and will crave them even more. I've heard of baked doughnuts before, but have never really thought much about them since honestly, the part of doughnuts that makes them irresistible to me is the fact that they're fried and crisp on the outside but light on the inside. Nonetheless, given my attempt to make healthier Chanukah foods (and yes, jelly doughnuts are a Chanukah food), I decided to give it a try.

I love cooking with sweet potatoes. Not only are they delicious, but they contain fewer carbs than regular potatoes and are filled with vitamins A and C, iron, fiber and antioxidants. Whenever I have a potato dish that I love, I always try a version using sweet potatoes as a fun alternative. Obviously, making sweet potato latkes was a no-brainer.
These latkes are very similar to the regular potato latkes and zucchini latkes that I posted on, but there's something about the added vanilla bean that really makes these special. The vanilla makes these potato pancakes rich and delicious, and enhances their sweet flavor. They're great on their own, and I loved eating them with non-fat plain yogurt and… continue reading sweet potato and vanilla bean latkes.

It's officially holiday season! Tonight is the first night of Chanukah, a holiday where you're supposed to eat fried foods to commemorate the miracle of a small amount of oil burning for 8 nights. Somehow, the traditional foods that evolved from this are potato latkes (i.e. potato pancakes) and jelly doughnuts. That sounds pretty good, but Chanukah lasts 8 days, and although I'm a huge proponent of sticking to tradition, 8 days of fried potato and dough can really wreak havoc on your body. So while I think eating the fried stuff sparingly is fine, if you'd like to lighten up some of your holiday dinners this week (and try some creative twists on traditional foods) then keep up… continue reading a whole lotta latke! | 3 Comments

One of my favorite meals growing up was my mom's version of spagetti and meatballs. However, my mom's version didn't involve meatballs, it was all about the fabulous meat sauce she made. The secret to the sauce was the cinnamon she added: ) Well I basically took her meat sauce and made a few changes that made it much lower in fat without losing any of the flavor. I simply ommitted the butter and substituted ground turkey for the ground beef. I also boosted the vitamin content by adding some fresh sliced mushrooms to the sauce. If you don't like mushrooms feel free to add your favorite vegetable, like peppers or corn!… continue reading A hearty spaghetti and meat sauce dish without all the fat!